Last year, a drought resilience tool was piloted across Australia but ultimately skipped the Western Plains and surrounds when it came to collecting its data.

This week, locals can put the tools to the test for themselves, with new updates being released following the pilot period. 

Two online tools - the Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool (DR.SAT) and Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) - have been updated with new functions as part of the Future Drought Fund, aiming to protect farmers against vulnerabilities from future climates. 

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said the additions would give more farmers and agricultural businesses a clearer picture of climate trends likely to impact them.

“(We) recognise that the favourable seasons we’ve seen in many parts of regional and rural Australia recently won’t last forever,” Mr Watt said. 

“Together these two tools provide a strategic overview of climatic conditions on individual farms, and their resilience to them – now, and in the future. 

Following the pilot period across eight regions of Australia, DR.SAT has been upgraded to include environmental assessments for more commodities and regions, and provides tailored options and resources to support farmers to make strategic decisions. 

The upgrades to CSA include historical climate information and seasonal forecasts and projections for a location, as well as comparisons with recent decades. 

“They are complemented by other Future Drought Fund programs which support farmers and communities to respond appropriately to what the information tells them,” Mr Watt said. 

“This includes building the capacity of farmers to plan for and manage drought and climate risks, and support to adopt farming practices that improve resilience,” he said.   

“It’s pleasing to see DR.SAT now has environmental resilience assessments for more commodities and regions and that new commodities have been added to CSA,” Mr Watt said. 

While the tools will be useful for future predictions, farmers are already feeling the long term impacts of climate change, according to the State of the Environment report released last month. 

Farmers for Climate Action CEO Dr Fiona Davis said farmers are working towards resilience on the farm, including planting ‘shelterbelts’, and installing renewable energy. 

“Farmers and their communities rely on a healthy environment for their livelihoods, and to grow the food we eat. They deserve safety and security, but in this unbalanced climate caused by carbon emissions they are facing fires, floods and droughts,” Dr Davis said. 

When it comes to planning, however, the predictions and insights from the drought resilience tools could still prove useful. 

By June 2024, CSA will provide regional-scale adaption options and different scenarios for farmers to consider.